FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 335 



sides finely streaked, flanks more broadly ; sides of head buffy white, with 

 a touch of yellow above the eye ; two narrow black stripes from bill, and 

 one back of eve ; shoulders tinged with greenish yellow and bend of wing 

 yellowish white. Length : (skins) 4.50-4.59, wing 2.12-2.13, tail 1.88-1.90, 

 bill .45-.48. 



Distribution. — South Dakota in summer, and probably other regions 

 along the eastern border of the Plains. 



548. Ammodramus leconteii {Aud.). Leconte Sparrow. 



Adults. — Crown with two blackish stripes in sharp contrast to bufPy 

 and grayish median stripe ; sides of head and superciliary buffy or yellow- 

 ish brown ; hind neck chestnut, feathers edged with grayish ; rest of upper 

 parts brownish, marked strikingly with blackish and buffy, the feathers 

 black, notched with grayish, with rufous and buffy cream U-shaped 

 edgings ; throat, breast, and sides buffy ; belly white ; sides and flanks 

 streaked ; bill small and slender ; tail graduated. Young : much more 

 buffy, deeper above, paler beneath, body streaked with blackish, more 

 narrowly on under parts. Male : length (skins) 4.15-4.74, wing 1.94-2.12, 

 tail 1.81-2.05, bill .33-.40. Female: length (skins) 4.35-5.00, wing 1.93- 

 2.10, taU 1.83-2.20, bill .33-.39. 



Distribution. — Breeds in prairie marshes of Transition and Upper 

 Sonoran zones, from Assiniboia and Manitoba southeast to Indiana ; win- 

 ters in the southern states ; accidental in Idaho. 



Nest. — Near the ground in dense fallen grass, made of grass, cup- 

 shaped. Eggs : 4 or 5, pale greenish white, heavily spotted with reddish 

 brown and lavender. 



Subgenus Ammodramus. 



Tail rounded, feathers sharp pointed ; wing short and 

 rounded, secondaries nearly even. 



Fig. 424. 



549.1. Ammodramus nelsoni {Allen). Nelson Sparrow. 



Adults. — Superciliary bright buff, sharply contrasting with dark brown 

 or blackish sides of crown ; middle of crown, back of head, and hind neck 

 gray, more or less mixed with rusty ; middle of back dark brown, strikingly 

 marked with chalky irhite streaks; edge of wing yellow; tail rounded; 

 under parts white, sides of tliroat, chest, and sides washed with buffy or 

 yellowish brown, and indistinctly streaked with darker. Young : upper 

 parts dull yellowish brown ; sides of crown chiefly black ; back broadly 

 streaked with black ; under parts buff, streaked on chest with duskv. 

 Male: length (skins) 4..50-4.90, wing 2.10-2.48. tail 1.80-2.07, bill .40-.42. 

 Female: length (skins) 4.40-4.80, wing 2.05-2.20, tail 1.70-1.90. bill .40- 

 .42. 



Distribution. — Breeds in prairie marshes of the interior from Manitoba 

 to northern Illinois ; migrates to the Atlantic coast, and winters south to 

 Gulf coast of 'IVxas ; accidental in California. 



Eggs. — Similar to those of leconteii. 



Food. — Insects, especially leaf-hoppers, midges, and horseflies, together 

 with weed seed. 



550b. Ammodramus maritimus sennetti Allen. Texas 



S K A .S 1 1) K S I • A K KG W . 



Adults. — Upper parts oHvh gray, streaked with black and whitish ; lores 

 and edge of wing bright yellow ; throat white ; rest of under parts grayish 



